Army National Guard retiree on how her dog, Maverick, saved her from ‘rock bottom.’
National Service Dog Day was on Sept. 20 and is designed to honor the role of service dogs in the lives of people with disabilities and America's veterans. The day was designated by Congress in 2023 and is part of September’s National Service Dog Month.
We asked you to share how your service dog has impacted your life, so we can share your story with others. We will continue to publish those stories throughout September.
Submit your own story and photo on www.legiontown.org in the “Why I Love My Service Animal” section.
Our latest in the series is from Army National Guard retiree Alyce Clark shares how her service dog saved her from “rock bottom.”
I currently live in South Florida. I retired from the Army National Guard in 2020 and started going through PTSD and anxiety attacks from Iraq. I had to retire from the police department in Norfolk, Va., because I thought it was the right thing to do.
I moved to South Florida and found Big Dog Ranch Rescue, who trains veterans for free with their service dog. Between Maverick and the (West Palm Beach) VA, they both saved me. I was rock bottom. As a thank you, I wrote a book about him: “Maverick: The Service dog.”
He now goes with me everywhere.
- Veterans Healthcare